From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner and The Cafe by the Sea comes another enchanting, unforgettable novel of a woman who makes a fresh start on the beautiful Scottish Island of Mure—only to discover life has more surprises in store for her.When Flora MacKenzie traded her glum career in London for the remote Scottish island of Mure, she never dreamed that … of Mure, she never dreamed that Joel—her difficult, adorable boss—would follow. Yet now, not only has Flora been reunited with her family and opened a charming café by the sea, but she and Joel are taking their first faltering steps into romance.
With Joel away on business in New York, Flora is preparing for the next stage in her life. And that would be…? Love? She’s feeling it. Security? In Joel’s arms, sure. Marriage? Not open to discussion.
In the meanwhile, Flora is finding pleasure in a magnificent sight: whales breaking waves off the beaches of Mure. But it also signals something less joyful. According to local superstition, it’s an omen—and a warning that Flora’s future could be as fleeting as the sea-spray…
A bracing season on the shore sets the stage for Jenny Colgan’s delightful novel that’s as funny, heartwarming, and unpredictable as love itself.
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Love the setting, on an island off the northern coast of Scotland. Jenny really makes it come alive.
A fun and heartwarming story! I was really pulled into the characters and their dilemmas. Jenny Colgan did a wonderful job creating a sequel with an absorbing storyline and deepening conflict. I loved her Scottish and Norse mythology too!
I just read 3 books by this author and they have enhanced my life
The characters you meet in The Endless Beach are people you want to get to know. I love the feeling that there is more here to them than you are told. Their lives unfold bit by bit rather than in unbelievable chunks of exposition. My only complaint was that the book had to end.
Every Jenny Colgan book I read I like more than the last one, something I can only say about a few authors. The characters we wonderful and I got caught up in the side stories as much as the main one. Hoping that she returns to this venue at least one more time to continue some of the stories of the side characters.
You can always depend on Jenny Colgan to give you a good, heartwarming story. This is a continuation of the story from The Summer Seaside Kitchen but can be read with no confusion. My opinion is that since both books are so fantastic, you might as well read both of them.
This book takes place on the Isle of Mure in the Scottish Highlands. There’s a small town with a lot of quirky characters. Flora, who runs the local bakery, is in love with Joel, who has just moved from London but still does a lot of work there. She is unsure of his true feelings for her and not sure how to handle her life with him or without him. We also have a gay brother, an immigrant doctor searching for his family, and various other characters that make this novel a fun read. There are a couple of loose ends in this book so I am hoping for another trip back to Mure Island with this series.
If you’ve never read Jenny Colgan, now is the time to start. If you have read her before, I highly recommend the Summer Seaside Kitchen series.
I am a big fan of Jenny Colgan, so when I saw she had a new book out, I bought it because all of her stories are wonderful. It was only when I started reading that I discovered (to my great delight) this is the sequel to The Cafe by the Sea. It is just as wonderful as the first book as the story continues and we dig deeper into more of the characters, and meet new ones too. A poignant and entertaining read at the same time. Loved it!!!
Jenny Colgan is always a great read! Love learning about the geographical locations- especially Muir! Characters become my wonderful friends with an interesting story to tell!
The Endless Beach by jenny Colgan a refreshing five-star read. I will be honest and admit it took me two attempts to start this book, but I think it’s me as it’s the second book in as many weeks that I have been salivating to read and then when I’ve started it I can’t sink my teeth into it. But I’m so glad I kept with it, it turned into what I’m sure will be one of the best reads this year. You always see words like ‘Charming’ ‘Witty’ ‘Funny’ associated with this author but there should be so much more, it’s a heart-warming read filled with characters that you won’t want to put down, although Flora is the main character and we are told the story of her relationship with Joel, there are so many other stories told and the characters in this story are plentiful and strong. The secondary characters will make you think and also have you questioning plenty, they are wide and varied, from Fiona’s brothers, a four-year old and a refugee doctor named Saif as well as many, many others including in some ways the island of Mure. They all have their own story to tell and it’s a compelling and heart-rending story. This does follow on from The Summer Seaside Kitchen but you don’t have to have read that one first as the author has kindly included a re-cap at the front of the book in the form of a letter from the author and also a handy guide on pronunciations of some more traditional names. (I found this so helpful as I deal with some people with these names on occasion with work and its nice knowing I can pronounce them right after all) Overall a great read, and I am so glad I got the opportunity to read this great story.
Flora quit her job as an attorney in London and moved back with her family on the Isle of Mure in the Scottish Highlands to work in the bakery.
Much to her surprise, her boss, Joel, decided to join her.
Flora didn’t know what to expect, but she didn’t expect love. She finds out Joel had a difficult childhood in foster care and doesn’t want to open up about it. That is a secret Joel keeps, a secret that causes problems for him as well as Flora, but this definitely adds interest to the story line.
THE ENDLESS BEACH sounds like a wonderful place to vacation and relax. I don’t think I would want to live there because of the remoteness, but the simple, stress free life would be lovely.
We follow Flora, Joel, Saif and Flora’s brothers as lives, interests, secrets, and personalities are revealed. Each character had a story – some sad. some happy.
It took a few pages to get everyone connected and to grab my interest, but the bakery, the whales, and the atmosphere on the Isle of Mure made it a very appealing read.
If you enjoy being in a quaint, lovely place and enjoy visiting with unforgettable, lovable characters, THE ENDLESS BEACH is a book you won’t want to miss. 4/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
The talented Jenny Colgan has taken us back to the Scottish Island of Mure, for the second Summer Seaside Kitchen book, where we get to see all of our favorite people again!
But with the good, comes the bad and as I was blubbering my way through this book, it showed me just how talented the author is, to provoke such a reaction in her readers.
Now I’m not going to go into everything on the island, but our favorite people are all there! Flora and Joel, Fintan and Coltan, Argot, Innis, and the rest of the family. But we also get to know Lorna better, and the doctor Saif. But the ugly head of Jan is there too, with the long-suffering Charlie! And I hate to say it, but I truly dislike Jan’s character!
I will give you all warning though, this book deals with tough subjects, and one of them being cancer, which truly struck a nerve with me, as my father has been suffering from the same type in this book for years, and while I understand the situation, I kind of hope there is another book, where the character takes the experimental surgery. But I do praise the author, for highlighting one of the less publicized cancers.
Endless Beach is a beautiful story, filled with celebration, heartbreak, determination, and wonder! Which is why I give it 5 stars!